Build Log: 2024 Lariat Tremor "Poundcake"

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Thanks, Lane. I'll keep these in mind.

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My Diode Dynamics SSC2 Ditch Light Kit arrived yesterday. I've been working on getting the switches installed in both the "trailer brake control" panel and the F150 headlight switch assembly, along with building out the pigtails to use with the DD HD wiring harnesses.
The switches are these: APIELE 16mm Latching Push Button Switch 12V DC On Off Black Shell with LED Angel Eye Head for 0.63" Mounting Hole with Wire Socket Plug Self-Locking (White/Black Shell): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
The push switch in the headlight switch assembly is going to control a set of 7" round Old-School-looking LED driving lights that will be mounted on JJC grill mounts. There are two switches in the trailer brake panel for the DD Ditch lights: one to control the backlight and the other to control the main beams. These are normally run through a 3-way switch supplied with the HD harness.
At some point, the foglight button in the F150 switch will be run through the BCM, assuming somebody comes up with a clean looking foglight setup for the Tremor lower valence.

I'm also starting on another project: customizing a set of fender vents with a honeycomb mesh insert, which will be color-matched when the weather gets much warmer. I'll post pics when I get a little farther along.

 

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As promised, my next project was modifying the fender vents, just for something a little different. At first my plan was to make a mesh insert that would fit into a few slots in the vents, while leaving the backing panel intact.

After much fiddling and aggravation, I decided to just grind the panel off from behind, a la the Focus ST Grille Shave, using a flap wheel.

The nice thing about the honeycomb mesh that I'm using is that it is super pliable and very easy to work with. I cut it oversized to the rough shape of the opening, then cut notches in the overhangs to wrap around the sides of the opening. A little trimming, bending and forming, and it fits very well. I'll use some black J-B Weld epoxy to hold them in place, one I decide whether they're going to be left silver or get painted black. The vents themselves will be color-matched Oxford White once the weather straightens out. I'll have to figure out a way to black-out the fender opening, or block-off the mesh.

I'm pretty stoked with how they turned out.

 

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I have a roll of door edge guard on the way to protect the back edge of the hood from the wiper arms. What a stupid design and engineering flaw; the paint is trashed all along the back edge.
I'll hit it with some touch-up paint and then slap on the trim once the weather gets much warmer.

 

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I also have a set of custom bed-side Tremor decals coming to replace the stockers that have started peeling. I'm having them made with some reflective white details which should be pretty cool.

 

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My UPR catch can just arrived. I was hoping that Damond would have one available, because I prefer having a valve and drain hose as opposed to unscrewing a cup to empty, but I didn't want to wait.
Damond said they were probably a year off and UPR had a sale going on, so I jumped on it.

 

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I was finally able to get the first oil change done this afternoon. It was the first day above 30 degrees in weeks. Six quarts of Mobil 1 5W30 and a Motorcraft FL400S filter. I was not expecting the "skid plate" to be as beefy as it is.

 

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Today arrived with super warm temps, so I had quite a list to work on. First, I pressure-washed and de-salted the undercarriage first thing this morning with this:
Amazon.com: RIDGE WASHER Pressure Washer Undercarriage Cleaner, 16 Inch Undercarriage Washer with Foam Cannon, Under Car Cleaner with Straight Extension Wand, 4000 PSI : Patio, Lawn & Garden
And this stuff:
Amazon.com : Salty Captain Foaming Salt Remover Wash - Clean & Remove Salt Off Boats & Cars, Prevent Saltwater Corrosion on Marine JetSkis, Trailers, Eco-Friendly Salt Neutralizer Boat Cleaner : Sports & Outdoors
The combo seemed to work pretty well.
Next-up, I foamed the truck, rinsed it, then hand-washed it to see how it fared over the Winter. Touched-up a couple of rock chips, along with some scratches on the back edge of the hood caused by the wiper arms with paint from automotivetouchup.com. We found out the hard way that you can't just lift the wiper arms off of the windshield, they need to be swept up out of the parked position first---terrible design and execution by Ford. I put a length of door edge guard material along the back edge of the hood to help protect it in the future.
Next up, I installed a UPR catch can.
22-24 Ford Maverick 2.0 Plug N Play™ Oil Catch Can Separator - UPR Products
Damond is my go-to for these, mostly for the available valve and drain hose, but they haven't developed anything for the Maverick yet. UPR's is a nice plug-and-play kit that took all of ten minutes to install. I had to rotate their mounting bracket 180-degrees, since the bolt hole they require is being used for my hood struts; no biggie, worked out perfectly.
Then I installed an auto-dimming rear view mirror with HomeLink using a plug-and-play wiring harness that I got from somebody on the Book of Face. We had one of these in the Escape (OE), and I put one just like this one in the ST. They're a great addition, and super cheap if you can find them through either Hyundai or Kia.
Lastly, I gave the interior a quick vacuum and cleaned the OE All Weather floor mats.
Next weekend is a long one for me, so hopefully, I'll be able to get some more things crossed off of the list. One of them involves pulling the front bumper cover, if the weather cooperates.

 

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The truck needs a bath badly, but the weather cleared up this afternoon, so I hauled the new wheel and tire combo up from the basement.
They look super-aggressive, and the Bronze looks great with the Oxford White. Pics taken fresh off of the jack, so the suspension will settle a bit. I'm thinking that I'm going to pass on installing the Eibach lift springs.

And yes, the ST is out of Winter Storage and back home.

 

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It warmed-up a bit this afternoon, so I decided it was time to get my cat-back installed.
AFE Rebel Series Side Exit with stainless tips. Very easy install. Looks great and sounds pretty good.

Also did some "Proof of Concept" vinyl work on the rocker graphics; the OE ones just seem unfinished to me.

The "real" vinyl should be here this week, so I'll get that cut and installed. My custom Tremor deals from Vinyl Imaginations are also here, so if the weather cooperates, those might go on next weekend.

 

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It's been a wild 6 weeks or so, trying to get stuff done as weather permits, plus way too much time driving loaner vehicles while the Maverick was at the dealer on 3 different occasions for the same thing--see here: (2) Dash lit up like Times Square | MaverickTruckClub - 2022+ Ford Maverick Pickup Forum, News, Owners, Discussions
Well, knock on wood, it seems to be fixed so I'm finally able to move on with some projects and installs. Getting ready to head to Carlisle for the Ford Nationals and MTC Roundup. It's been raining all day today, but I was able to get out and clay the paint, planning on waxing tomorrow. Sorry about the pics--still raining, but I wanted to post some progress.
I got the fender vents finished up a couple of weeks ago and got them installed last weekend. I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out, just need to black-out behind them at some point.

Tremor Orange tailgate letter inserts from Etsy were installed a couple of weeks ago.

Custom Tremor bed-side decals from @VinylImagination installed the same time as the tailgate lettering. The white outline is reflective, which is a cool touch.

After many different iterations, I just went super simple with the rocker graphic addition--more like the 2025s. Same color as the Tremor decals.

Diode Dynamics SS2C Combo Beam ditch lights have been installed for a while, harnesses are installed, still need to wire them up, but probably not before we head for Carlisle. Have a surprise for some grill lights as well, but not yet. Both sets of lights are mounted on JJC LLC brackets and are wired using Diode Dynamics wiring harnesses.

I'm going to wait until Wednesday to reinstall the other wheels and tires; just want to make sure that it's really fixed this time.

 

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Forgot about the clean corner with Lasfit LE bulbs and the painted the brake calipers. I used G2 "Hawkins Blue" on the calipers, which is very similar to the blue on the Focus RS Brembos.

The blue will look much better behind the bronze Enkeis.

 

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A better pic of the fender vents. You can hopefully see the hex mesh better.

 

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Two EcoBoosts ready to head for Carlisle Ford Nationals/MTC Roundup on Thursday morning.

Got the Enkeis reinstalled, plus got some FORScan programming done: Global Windows, Auto Start/Stop delete, Double Honk delete, Ford Performance Splash Screen, and Turn-by-turn Nav in instrument cluster.
Both the Maverick and the ST are pretty much loaded-up with gear and ready to head-out.

 

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I have some catching up to do, but here are a few pics from the 2025 Maverick Truck Club Roundup at the Carlisle Ford Nationals.

Many more additions to post, but I just finished Version 2.0 of my customized, semi-functional fender vents. The cutout/insert is quite a bit larger on these ones, and I'll probably leave them in the original textured black finish instead of color-matching them.

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